Don Marquis

Don Marquis (1878–1937) was an American humorist, journalist, and poet. Born in Walnut, Illinois, he studied at Knox College and later at Harvard University. Marquis worked as a newspaper writer and editor, including at the *Atlanta Journal*, and became widely known in New York for his witty, satirical columns. His most famous work is the “Archy and Mehitabel” series, originally published in the *New York Evening Sun*, featuring the free-verse “poetry” of Archy, a cockroach, and the reflections of Mehitabel, an alley cat. He also wrote plays, essays, and verse noted for their sharp social observation.